Cedar Hill Middle School students will soon have a new, seismically safer learning space as work has begun to build a replacement school.
The new middle school will have room for 575 students and will have features such as an Indigenous welcome centre.
It will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) equivalents and will be the greenest building in the school district, providing a 90 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to a traditionally built school.
“We are excited to see work begin on the seismic replacement of Cedar Hill Middle School, which will set a new standard for sustainability in our school district,” Nicole Duncan, chair of the Greater Victoria School Board, said in a release.
“All students deserve a seismically safe, accessible and inclusive learning environment, which will inspire and provide amenities that support the needs of our growing community.”
The province provided $49.9 million, with the Greater Victoria School District contributing $3.6 million to fund the project.
The new school is expected to open during the fall of 2025.
This is one of many schools the province is making seismic upgrades to across B.C.
Over the past six years, the province has completed seismic upgrades at Campus View Elementary and Braefoot Elementary and is completing a seismic upgrade and expansion at Victoria High, all within the Greater Victoria School District.
“We are acting now to ensure all B.C. students have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive in our Province’s world-class education system,” said Rachna Singh, Minister of Education and Child Care.
With $160 million in funding, these school upgrades, when combined with Cedar Hill Middle School, will support 2,385 seismically safer seats for students.
“It’s important that our students are learning in safe and engaging spaces,” said Rob Fleming, MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake, in a release.
“Schools are vital hubs in our community, and our government is committed to providing the excellent learning environments our young people need.”
Since September 2017, the province has approved the construction of 25,000 new student spaces and 35,000 seismically safer seats.
It has provided $4 billion for new and improved schools, as well as land purchases for upcoming schools throughout B.C.
Budget 2023 includes $3.4 billion for school capital projects over the next three years, including new and expanded schools, seismic upgrades and replacements, and land purchases for future schools.
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